Remarks by the First Lady at New Hampshire Victory 2006 Rally
Executive Court
Manchester, New Hampshire

3:28 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you very much. Thank you, Congressman Bradley.
Thank you for introducing me, and thank you to each and every one of you
for the warm welcome to New Hampshire.

I couldn't let another election go by without stopping in New
Hampshire, for sure. I've spent every election here since 1980 or
something. (Laughter.) But anyway, it's great to be here with all of
you.

And I'm so happy to be standing today with Congressman Charlie
Bass. Lisa and Lucy are here, Lisa Bass and Charlie's daughter Lucy are
here. (Applause.) And of course, I'm very happy to be standing here
with Congressman Jeb Bradley. Thank you very much, Congressman.
(Applause.) And Senator John Sununu, who's here, thank you, Senator.
(Applause.) Senator Judd Gregg, and Kathy, is out in the crowd with you
all, too. (Applause.) Jim Coburn, your Republican candidate for
governor, thank you very much, Jim, for joining us. (Applause.) Also
in the crowd is Wayne Semprini, the Chairman of the New Hampshire State
Republican Party. Wayne, thank you very much for your hard work.
(Applause.)

And I know there are a number of local officials and candidates
here. Thank you all for your service to your communities, and thanks
for joining us today. (Applause.)

I'm delighted to be here with you today to support Charlie Bass and
Jeb Bradley's campaigns for the United States Congress. (Applause.)
These men care deeply about the people of your state, and in Washington,
they've distinguished themselves as passionate advocates of New
Hampshire families.

Congressman Bradley and Congressman Bass are helping New Hampshire
by increasing employment opportunities in your state. During his 11
years in Congress, Charlie Bass has improved the business climate for
New Hampshire entrepreneurs, so they can expand their companies and
create more jobs for the 2nd district.

Through his leadership on the House Small Business Committee,
Congressman Jeb Bradley -- a former small-business owner himself -- has
eased the tax burden for 112,000 small New Hampshire companies.
(Applause.) He's secured more than $4 million in federal funding to
expand I-93. These resources will improve highway safety for New
Hampshire drivers, and create good construction jobs here in the 1st
district.

On the Armed Services Committee, Jeb led the effort to save the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. (Applause.) His efforts have protected our
nation, and saved thousands of jobs in your state.

Here in New Hampshire, your unemployment rate is a low 3.2 percent.
(Applause.) And your economy is the fastest-growing in New England.
Congratulations to the hard-working Granite Staters, and thank you to
Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley for working so hard for you in Congress.
(Applause.)

In Washington, Jeb and Charlie make sure that New Hampshire's tax
dollars are spent wisely and responsibly. They support President Bush's
tax cuts. These tax cuts have fueled our economy, and they've helped
add 6.6 million new jobs since 2003. And that means 6.6 million more
Americans wake up every morning with the dignity and the sense of
purpose that comes with a job.

Something else Jeb, Charlie, and the President have in common --
and something I share with them -- is a commitment to natural
preservation.

Congressman Bradley and Congressman Bass are enthusiastic stewards
of our country's natural resources. Through his leadership on the House
Committee on Energy and Commerce, Charlie Bass helped author the Energy
Policy Act, which promotes the use of alternative fuels in American
homes.

Jeb Bradley is an avid outdoorsman, and he enjoys climbing New
Hampshire's majestic mountains. He's scaled all 48 of your state's
4,000-foot peaks, and his current goal is to climb all 48 of these
mountains in the winter. (Applause.) Good luck with that, Jeb.

Congressman Bradley's priority is preserving the White Mountains so
that all Granite Staters can enjoy their beauty. This year, he and
Congressman Bass introduced legislation to safeguard New Hampshire's
Wild River Valley, and to designate the White Mountain National Forest
as protected wilderness. Thank you both very much for this very
important work. (Applause.)

One of the benefits of natural and historical preservation is that
it gives our children more opportunities to learn about our country.
Visits to national parks, to museums, to aquariums, and to national
monuments are great activities for young people, offering them healthy
and positive ways to learn and spend time with their families.

Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass have strong records of commitment to
young people. Jeb spent years as Little League coach in Wolfeboro,
providing local children with positive and healthy activities. Both
Congressman Bradley and Congressman Bass support the IDEA Act, which
funds education programs for young people with disabilities. Charlie
Bass has introduced legislation to increase national IDEA Act funding,
and Jeb has introduced legislation to make sure those resources are used
more efficiently here in New Hampshire. Thank you, Congressmen, for
your commitment to New Hampshire children. (Applause.)

We all know, though, that the well-being of young people ultimately
depends on our government's ability to protect them -- by defeating
terrorism and increasing liberty abroad. (Applause.)

Congressman Bass and Congressman Bradley understand the needs of
our troops at this crucial time in our country's history. Both Jeb and
Charlie support pay increases for soldiers, and included a 2.7 percent
raise for all members of the armed services in the most recent National
Defense Authorization bill.

Through his leadership on the House Armed Services Committee,
Congressman Bradley has secured hundreds of millions of dollars to make
sure our troops have the resources they need to keep themselves, and our
country, safe. (Applause.) He's made three visits to our troops in
Iraq. On the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Jeb is improving benefits for
Granite Staters who've served our country in uniform. He introduced
legislation to expand services at VA medical centers around the country,
and led the effort to maintain emergency room operations at the VA
medical center in Manchester. Thank you, Jeb, for that. (Applause.)

In Congress, Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley are champions of the men
and women of the United States military. (Applause.)

And thanks to our troops, the Iraqi people are now free from the
oppression of Saddam Hussein, and are working to build a democratic
future for their country. (Applause.)

And in Afghanistan, women and girls can now be educated.
(Applause.) It's hard for us to imagine a country that would prohibit
half of its citizens from being educated. But now, little girls are in
school all over Afghanistan.

All of us are proud of the men and women who are deployed around
the world defending our country. (Applause.) Every day, thousands of
these men and women risk their lives overseas to make sure that their
families, and all of our families, are kept safe here in the United
States. Their love of our country, and of liberty, never wavers, and
neither does their belief in our cause.

Many of these men and women have given their lives for this belief.
Around the country, President Bush and I meet with their families. In
military hospitals, we meet with their fellow soldiers who've been
wounded in combat. And from our troops and their families, the
President and I hear the same request: that we honor the sacrifice of
these men and women by seeing their mission through. (Applause.) They
ask the American people to stand with our troops.

Congressman Bass and Congressman Bradley stand with our troops.
(Applause.) They understand that this election is critical to the
future of our country. And they know that America faces challenges too
important to be reduced to just politics.

President Bush has an ambitious agenda for the rest of his time in
Washington, and he takes his responsibility to the American people very
seriously. Ending our dependence on foreign oil, reforming our
immigration system, rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and keeping our country
safe from terrorism are not easy tasks, but they are absolutely vital
goals. (Applause.) To accomplish them, we must have serious national
conversations, conducted with civility and respect.

The right to have these conversations is part of what makes our
country great, and our democracy strong. We must be mindful that people
around the world are listening to these discussions. Responsible
candidates understand that the men and women of our military are risking
their lives for us overseas, and that we must conduct our debate here at
home in a way that does not jeopardize our troops in harm's way.
(Applause.)

Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass understand their responsibility to our
country as your representatives in the United States Congress. It's so
important that we stand with Jeb and Charlie during this crucial time in
our country's history.

Thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Congressman Bass
and Congressman Bradley. Thanks especially to all the volunteers for
your hard work knocking on doors and making those phone calls, including
the time some of you spent at the phone bank here this morning. You've
already done so much to help Jeb and Charlie, and our other terrific
Republican candidates in New Hampshire, especially your candidate for
governor, Jim Coburn. (Applause.) In the next week, they'll need more
of your energy and enthusiasm.

We're looking forward to Election Day. This is a spirited contest,
and we've got great candidates. We've also got the best grassroots
volunteers. (Applause.) Our candidates are depending on you, so be
sure to get everyone you know to the polls. Go to the phone banks,
knock on the doors, and talk to your friends and neighbors about Charlie
Bass and Jeb Bradley. They need your support, and our country needs
them. (Applause.)

Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming out today, and thank
you in advance for all the hard work you're going to do for the next
week to make sure Jeb Bradley and Charlie Bass are re-elected to the
United States Congress on November 7th.